Dean Highland Neighborhood Association

Tag: Dean Highland

  • DHNA’s State Historical Marker Challenge: B & B from Wenz Ave

    Hello Dean Highlanders,

    Check out these Challengers:

    B & B from Wenz Ave

    They look very excited, right?

    These two goldbrickers won’t be getting free DHNA t-shirts for their efforts, but we do thank them for their time!

    For past DHNA State Historical Marker Challengers, check this out. Here is what our State Historical Marker Challenge is all about, by the way:

    Our Texas Historical Marker for the trolley stop is on-site now. You can check it out at the triangle on Trice and 28th:

    If you take a photo of yourselves and/or loved ones next to the Texas Historical Marker, send it to us via email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com and we’ll post it here on the website. We will also throw in a free Dean Highland Neighborhood t-shirt for each participant while supplies last.

  • “Voices from Dean Highland” spotlight: Rosy Bautista-Ramos

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Amid all the hustle and bustle of our Conservancy Initiative (which is kicking butt; catch you at our next service project on Aug. 8th?), our fight for Hillcrest Park, and the ins and outs of all our personal lives, is the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association’s ongoing oral history project: “Voices from Dean Highland.”

    If you haven’t done so yet, please reach out to me (brandon.l.christensen@gmail.com or 530-748-7566[text first!]) to set up an appointment and we’ll get your story added to the neighborhood collection. The more lives we can add to the collection, the cooler our neighborhood will become.

    At any rate, meet Rosy Bautista-Ramos:

    Rosy has been in the neighborhood for decades and has raised two great kids in Dean Highland. In fact, one of her kids was my go-to babysitter before she went off to college in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

    Rosy currently serves at Highland Baptist Church and does an amazing job serving the Spanish-speaking community of Dean Highland and Waco.

    She sat down with me on May 11, 2026. Please, reach out to me so we can add your story to the fabric of our neighborhood.

  • DHNA’s State Historical Marker Challenge: Carl Freeto

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Meet our latest Challenger:

    Carl lives on Maple Ave, and can usually be seen out walking with his dog, Rosy (who didn’t walk with Carl the day he took the Challenge because she doesn’t like thunderstorms). Here’s a picture of Rosy saying “no” to a walk:

    If you see them out and about, you know what to do! Carl got a DHNA t-shirt for his efforts, and you could too.

    For past DHNA State Historical Marker Challengers, check this out. Here, by the way, is what our State Historical Marker Challenge is all about:

    Our Texas Historical Marker for the trolley stop is on-site now. You can check it out at the triangle on Trice and 28th:

    If you take a photo of yourselves and/or loved ones next to the Texas Historical Marker, send it to us via email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com and we’ll post it here on the website. We will also throw in a free Dean Highland Neighborhood t-shirt for each participant while supplies last.

    T-shirt supplies look like this:

    • 3 smalls
    • 7 mediums
    • and 1 large

  • An Update from our City Councilman, Darius Ewing

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Wow, three neighborhood news updates in a row! How did we ever get so lucky? Councilman Ewing has heard us roar, and he sent us the following response on Monday (7/13):

    I want to apologize for my delayed response here. My wife and I welcomed our son two weeks ago and are still getting back into our normal lives and settling in as a family of four, albeit with much less sleep.

    I want to acknowledge that this process has taken longer than anyone would have expected. Not that any of you need an example of how long it’s been, but since we began this process we’ve had two city managers, two city attorneys, three mayors, and three separate presidents at Baylor Scott & White. Since discussions began in earnest in late 2020, there has been a lot of stop-and-go. Plenty of times it seemed like the path was clear and we had momentum, only to be stopped in our tracks by an unexpected roadblock.

    The process on paper is simple: Baylor Scott & White demolished their old hospital and has been looking to sell the acreage from the site ever since. Once the city engaged, there were no other serious conversations with other end-users. I sincerely wish it was as easy as the city fronting the money, acquiring the land, and soliciting plans for development. However, with the environmental concerns we uncovered last year, we’ve had to explore an alternative before the city can acquire the property. This looks like signing off on an MSD, or municipal settings designation, an official state designation certifying that groundwater beneath a specific urban property is not used for drinking and is legally prohibited from future use. To my knowledge, this won’t prohibit development of housing or a park, but it will allow us to acquire the land without prohibitively expensive remediation.

    As of June 12th, BSW was still working through their private contractor to complete the environmental process with TCEQ (the state environmental agency) in order to submit an MSD application.

    That is where we are now. We’re waiting on that application to be completed, submitted, and approved. Once approved, the city will continue our efforts to formally acquire the land and bring development and green space, including parkland, to the area. That is my commitment to you, both as your council representative and as a former neighbor.

    I wish I could put a definitive timeline on this, but with multiple large, regulated private entities and large governmental entities involved, I would only be giving you an estimate that would likely result in unmet expectations. I am committed to seeing this through, and if at any point you’re unsure where we are in the process, or feel it’s been too long since your last update, I’m happy to field any questions or concerns, or even meet for coffee.

    It’s not every day, or in every city, that you get such a swift, thoughtful response from a Councilman. You can still send him an email to let him know Hillcrest Park is on your mind: ccouncil4@wacotx.gov.

    Don’t forget to congratulate him on child #2…

  • An update on our Hillcrest Park email campaign

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Melett Harrison, who runs the City of Waco’s wonderful, fantabulous Neighborhood Engagement team, sent us this email in response to our email campaign for Hillcrest Park:

    I wanted to let you know that this property is not being ignored.  I understand it’s taking MUCH longer that DHNA wants it to, but rest assured it’s not fallen off the city’s radar. (neither elected officials nor staff)

    Thanks for continuing to include us in your newsletters.  It’s great to be able to keep up with your efforts.

    It’s truly great that we have such a thoughtful City looking out for us.

    What do you think, Dean Highlanders? Is Hillcrest Park still on the City’s radar?

    I encourage you ask our district’s Councilman, Darius Ewing, yourself via email: ccouncil4@wacotx.gov. If you’re not confident in your writing prowess, just copy-and-paste this:

    Dear Mr. Ewing,

    The Dean Highland Neighborhood Association is committed to bringing a 14-acre, world-class park to the empty Hillcrest lot.

    We are here to collaborate and bargain, not grovel for slivers of green space. Please ensure, Mr. Councilman, that Dean Highlanders get the respect and dignity they deserve when it comes to this space. As of today, this has not happened. The lot is still empty. The garbage is still piling up. And the intent of the land’s donors — a vast space for the public good – has not been met and may even be considered to be actively ignored by City actors and Baylor, Scott, and White.

    You depend on me for my vote, and I am actively paying attention to how you treat my neighborhood and the ongoing Hillcrest Park debacle.

    Feel free to “cc” the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association to the email you send to our councilman, too (our email address is deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com). Please, your voice matters. Email Councilman Ewing today.

  • DHNA’s State Historical Marker Challenge: Sabine Meyer & Foster Dog Mabel

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    Check out these Challengers:

    Sabine Meyer & Foster Dog Mabel

    Sabine, reppin’ Parrott Ave, has lived in the neighborhood for two years and has met her “wonderful neighbors” when out walking her dogs.

    Here’s a message about Mabel from Sabine:

    P.S. Mabel is available for adoption at Pet Circle (A119714). She’s a dream: About 2 year old, house broken, crate trained, walks great on a loose leash, gets along with cats and dogs. Loves people! She’s a Velcro dog! I’m sure she likes kids, too. I just haven’t had a chance to check. I found her running the streets in the Brookview neighborhood.

    Sabine gets a DHNA t-shirt for her efforts, and when you see her out-and-about, do be sure to say “hi” and fellowship a bit.

    For past DHNA State Historical Marker Challengers, check this out. Here is what our State Historical Marker Challenge is all about, by the way:

    Our Texas Historical Marker for the trolley stop is on-site now. You can check it out at the triangle on Trice and 28th:

    If you take a photo of yourselves and/or loved ones next to the Texas Historical Marker, send it to us via email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com and we’ll post it here on the website. We will also throw in a free Dean Highland Neighborhood t-shirt for each participant while supplies last.

  • Email Campaign for Hillcrest Park

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    I trust your summer is going well. We on the DHNA board just wanted to remind you that the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association fought for a park at the Hillcrest location about 10 years ago. We were told by city council then that there were plenty of other green spaces nearby to enjoy.

    I recently received the same reply while trying to get a humble footpath installed over at Wenz Park, and it reminded me of just how precarious our park situation is. I spent 12 months making phone calls, writing emails, and researching history only to get a short, curt email stating that there are plenty of other nearby options for myself and my family to enjoy in Waco.

    We might get the same response from the City for our Hillcrest Park advocacy if we don’t continue to keep pressure on Baylor, Scott, and White and our City representatives.

    So, we are calling on all Dean Highland residents to send an email to our City Council representative, Darius Ewing, reminding him that he works for us and that we want a world-class park in the space that is currently occupied by an empty lot. If you’re not confident in your writing prowess, just copy-and-paste this:

    Dr Dear Mr. Ewing,

    The Dean Highland Neighborhood Association is committed to bringing a 14-acre, world-class park to the empty Hillcrest lot.

    We are here to collaborate and bargain, not grovel for slivers of green space. Please ensure, Mr. Councilman, that Dean Highlanders get the respect and dignity they deserve when it comes to this space. As of today, this has not happened. The lot is still empty. The garbage is still piling up. And the intent of the land’s donors — a vast space for the public good – has not been met and may even be considered to be actively ignored by City actors and Baylor, Scott, and White.

    You depend on me for my vote, and I am actively paying attention to how you treat my neighborhood and the ongoing Hillcrest Park debacle.

    Feel free to “cc” the Dean Highland Neighborhood Association to the email you send to our councilman, too. Mr. Ewing’s email address is ccouncil4@wacotx.gov, and our email address is deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com.

    This is our neighborhood Dean Highlanders, and sometimes we have to fight for what is ours.

    Our next Dean Highland Conservancy Initiative service project, by the way, is on August 8th. Mark your calendars!

  • Plan Commission – July 14, 2026

    Hello Dean Highlanders,

    I hope you are staying cool. Below is an email we received from the one and only Crystal Anthony, our beloved Program Coordinator from the City of Waco’s Neighborhood Engagement team:

    Hello Dean Highland Neighborhood Association,

    Note: This notice is in North Waco’s Neighborhood, but adjacent to Dean Highland.

    Please find attached a public hearing notice from the Plan Commission. The case will be presented before the Plan Commission at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, at the Waco Convention Center, Bosque Theatre, 100 Washington Ave. After the case is presented to the Plan Commission, a public hearing will then be held before the City Council at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at the Waco Convention Center, Bosque Theatre, 100 Washington.

    Z-26-25
    A request has been made by Cameron Philgreen and the City of Waco, to rezone from O-3 Office Limited Commercial District to R-3C Multiple Family Residence District of approximately 0.5680 acres described as Lot 1 Block 1 Holley Addition known as 1901 N 25th Street and to rezone from R-3E Multiple Family Residence District to R-2 Two-Family and Attached Single-Family Residence District for property described as Lots 4-5 and 11-14, Block 53 of the University Heights Addition, known as 2410 and 2418 Cumberland Avenue and 2401, 2405, 2409, and 2413 Maple Avenue.

    This attached notice was also mailed out on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, to the residents who live within 200 feet, but we hope this electronic version will be easier to share with your neighbors. Any questions you have about a case should be directed to the Development Services staff at 254-750-5750. Mark Boyd is copied on this email and will be able to assist you. You may also email planning@wacotx.gov to submit a written comment.

    The Plan Commission meeting will be held in person. You may still watch the meeting live at MyWacoTV.com, but if someone wants to comment during the public hearing, they must do so in person.

    Mmkay, it’s me again. Here are two visuals — one and two – that Crystal sent along with this email update. They’re both pdf files and they’re both informative.

    If you have any other questions about this, such as the difference between a planning commission meeting and a city council meeting, shoot us an email (at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com) and we’ll break it down for you. Now on to some housekeeping:

    Our “Voices from Dean Highland” neighborhood history project is proceeding apace. If you’d like to participate, or to nominate someone who should participate, give me a holler. We need all the voices we can get, so don’t be shy. Your story, and your stories about the Dean Highland neighborhood, are way more important than you think.

    Our Conservancy Initiative will pick back up on August 8th, so don’t forget to mark your calendars!

    I recently got some bad news from the City’s Parks & Rec Department, and it ties in to our Hillcrest Park advocacy. I’ll have more on this in a separate post, but we need to remember to remain vigilant when it comes to fighting for green space.

    I’ll also have some more “Voices from Dean Highland” spotlights, and a couple of cute kids from Wenz Ave were voluntold to participate in our new “DHNA State Historical Marker Challenge,” so please continue to tune in to our newsletter updates, if only for the random glimpses of cuteness we sometimes provide.

    We still have Dean Highland Neighborhood Association t-shirts left after our Father’s Day extravaganza sale:

    • 3 smalls
    • 8 mediums
    • and 2 larges

    So, while supplies last, we’ll throw in some DHNA t-shirts, for free, if you participate in our new “DHNA State Historical Marker Challenge.” Just snap some selfies or group photos of you or some neighbors next to our trolley stop historical marker and send it to us, and we’ll post the photos on here and hook you up with some free DHNA t-shirts. It doesn’t get much better than that…

  • Father’s Day Sale: Dean Highland Neighborhood T-Shirts!

    Hi Dean Highlanders,

    As you are aware, we need to shed some Dean Highland inventory this summer, so we’re offering our world-famous t-shirts at an awesome price: $15/shirt. In honor of Juneteenth and Father’s Day, if you buy a medium t-shirt we’ll throw in a 2nd medium for free. We can give you the same offer for small sizes, too, while supplies last!

    Check out how amazing these t-shirts make you look:

    We have:

    • 3 smalls
    • 11 10 mediums
    • and 4 3 2 larges left

    Shoot us an email at deanhighlandwaco@gmail.com if you’d like to take advantage of this offer!

    Again, if you buy a medium t-shirt ($15) we’ll throw in a 2nd medium t-shirt for free…

  • “Upcoming Baylor librarian looking to live in Dean Highland”

    Hey Dean Highlanders, check this out:

    Hello! I’m Hilary, and I’ll be moving to Waco in early August to work at Baylor as a full-time librarian and am looking for a rental. My budget is $800 – 1200/month and could possibly stretch to $1300 for a great place. I’m really interested in living in Dean Highland. I have a strong preference for a duplex or similar, or possibly a small apartment community. It will just be me and my 14-lb well-behaved pup! One bedroom minimum or more.

    I currently live in the Austin metro area, a 1.5 hour drive from y’all. I’ll be doing my first couple of scouting visits to Waco Saturday, 6/20, and Monday, 6/22, but can also come and view a rental in the neighborhood at a later date if something comes on the market. I’ve got excellent credit my official Baylor contract in hand for proof of income. Thank you so much for considering renting to me! You can reach me at hilary77@gmail.com.

    If you can help, you know what to do!